RESIDENTS are calling for a sewage treatment plant to be shut down - as they say the smell is making them feel ill.

Sandon Dock sewage plant, which treats waste from across Liverpool, was built as part of a #500m scheme to clean up the River Mersey.

However, residents of Vauxhall and Everton now say they can not live with the foul smells emanating from the plant and will be calling for its closure at a full meeting of the city council tonight.

Operators United Utilities admit that there is a problem and said its engineers were working to solve it.

City councillor George Knibb said: "I was recently in the city centre in Queen Square and I saw a group of foreign tourists holding their hands over their faces and asking why there was such a strong smell in the air.

"I have spoken to people in Vauxhall and Everton and they are saying that they and their children are feeling sick. I was told that they have been been spraying perfume to disguise the smell but that has just made it much worse.

"We want to know how much longer this situation will be tolerated."

A spokeswoman for United Utilities said: "The treatment plant was built as part of a #500m scheme to clean up the River Mersey. We have spent #50m last year adding a secondary stage to the treatment process. As part of that we have incorporated specific equipment to control odours.

"The problem is that these odour units are not working as effectively as we would like them to. They use a biological process and it can take some time to adjust the process. Our engineers are working to improve the situation and we are working with environmental health teams to achieve this.

"Up until this there has not been any nuisance from the treatment plant. We have been good neighbours and we want to keep it that way."